Friday, March 17, 2006

Iranian Rebels Kill 21 In Border Region

Radio Free Europe:
Iranian rebels have killed 21 people in southeastern Iran, Iran's national chief of police says. The killings occurred late on March 16 in Sistan va Baluchistan Province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan. General Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam said the rebels had posed as security forces, stopping cars traveling along the Zabol-Zahedan road and then killing their passengers.

Moghaddam, who believes the rebels may have fled to Afghanistan, suggested that U.S. and British intelligence agents were involved in instigating the attack. He gave no details to support the claim.

There are no well-known opposition groups operating in southeastern Iran, but there have been frequent clashes between drug-traffickers and security forces.